The Island

Chapter 1: Cruise Contest

Zane Wilson stood with his group of friends in the crowded cafeteria of the community college they attended. All of them waited for the announcement of the contest winners. A Caribbean cruise, he thought, leaning back against the wall with a grin. Now there’s a prize I could stand to win. Like everyone else here now (and the other half of the school, which couldn’t make it, but hoped to get a call telling them they’d won), he’d put in his entry weeks ago. Zane felt, for some reason, that today was going to be his lucky day.

“Hey, Zane, man,” his buddy Luke hissed. “Look, it’s the Snob Squad!”

Sighing, Zane glanced in the direction Luke had pointed. The five girls that made up the group he’d dubbed the “Snob Squad” were indeed there. Two blondes, a brunette, and a raven-haired beauty, and they acted like they still belonged in high school. Usually that didn’t bother him; bubble-headed girls were something he was used to. But Zane attended classes with the little dark-haired girl, and he knew how intelligent she was. He just couldn’t figure out what her problem was.

As if she sensed him watching, she turned suddenly to face him. A truly exotic creature, she was. High cheekbones and large, almond-shaped eyes of stinging green made her look slightly cat-like. A luscious, full mouth seemed always curled into a petulant pout. Hair as dark as a night void of stars and moon was a startling contrast to the pale caramel tone of her skin. She was slim and petite, with small, full breasts, sensuously wide hips, and long legs. Her name was Trinity Russell, Snob Squad’s lackey. Knowing how bright she was, Zane couldn’t understand why it was so important to her to fit in with those other girls.

“Makes you wanna cry, doesn’t it?” Luke joked, leaning against Zane and grinning. “The beautiful ones are always untouchable.”

“Not for me,” Zane shot back, mirroring Luke’s grin.

His current girlfriend was Sheila O’Connor, Snob Squad leader. She was the leggy blonde who was always in the middle of their small crowd. Blue-eyed, tanned skin, and never a hair out of place. Zane wasn’t dating her because he loved her. Heck, he wasn’t even dating her because the sex was good (which it was, if he tuned out her constant nagging). It was simply that he’d been dating her since high school and hadn’t bothered to break up with her. I let myself get stuck in ruts far too easily, Zane thought, frowning. Maybe it’s time for a change.

His eyes lingered briefly on Trinity, and he had to give himself a hard shake. Not her! he thought, rolling his eyes at himself. Soon, he felt, he’d be on that cruise, and there would be so many lovely girls in bikinis, he’d have plenty of opportunity to make a change. Zane had no interest in snobby little Trinity; none whatsoever.

“Man, when are they going to get to it?” Luke griped, shifting impatiently on his feet. “We’ve been waiting here for like, an hour or something!”

“Fifteen minutes,” Zane corrected, chuckling. “Calm down, man. It’s in the bag.”

“You think?” Luke asked, his eyebrows lifting.

Zane shrugged. “I just have this feeling.”

He couldn’t explain it. Maybe it’s destiny, Zane thought wryly. He had never really believed in things like destiny before. Everything in his life was pretty non-fantastic: simple school, simple family, simple girlfriend. Very simple girlfriend. When he’d seen the flier for this contest, he’d gotten excited, truly excited, for the first time in a long time. Zane wanted to do something fun and thrilling. He wanted a break from an ordinary college life that would no doubt soon become an ordinary married life. He simply had never known or learned anything different.

Glancing across the crowd again, he saw Sheila speaking to Trinity. His girlfriend was looking down her perfectly powdered nose at the little lackey. Zane watched for a moment, and when Trinity started off through the crowd, he rolled his eyes. I guess you can be intelligent and dumb as a brick at the same time, he thought, settling back against the wall once more. Because she most certainly is.

---

“Fetch this, go get this,” Trinity Russell muttered under her breath as she pushed through the crowd. “Go get your own coffee, you primped-up valley girl!”

It was times like these that she thought she might reconsider her decision. Hanging with Sheila O’Connor and her gang should have made her happy and popular, but Trinity was miserable. I feel like I’m back in high school, she thought, sighing. When she had met Sheila and the others, she’d thought it would be the perfect opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, she could recover from her experiences in middle school. But

Trinity had found only that she was completely miserable, and even more

lonely than before.

When she’d seen the flier advertising this contest, she’d been excited. A vacation was exactly what she needed. A Caribbean cruise ... well, that was just perfect. It probably won’t be me, Trinity thought, stopping at the end of a line forming at the cafeteria’s coffee stand. It will be Sheila, no doubt, and her annoying boyfriend.

Zane Wilson. The very thought of him made her want to scream. He acts like he doesn’t remember me, she thought, her fingers tightening around the dollar bills Sheila had given her. How could he forget? Zane had been her biggest mistake in middle school. To think she’d once thought he could have been her greatest ally in the sixth grade. I was a fool, Trinity thought, shaking her head. A big, stupid, fat, ugly, unwanted idiot! Those were not days she liked remembering.

The coffee line seemed to take forever. Still, so was the announcement of the winners. There would be a total of ten, and she was dead certain she wouldn’t be one of them. It just simply wasn’t her luck. Trinity had the worst luck in the world ... proven as she stepped up to the counter of the coffee stand, and the student working it put up a sign. Out of coffee, she thought, just great! Turning, she began to fight the crowd, dreading going back to Sheila. Already this was shaping up to be a lousy day.

It just got worse as it went on. Trinity was about halfway back to Sheila when someone stepped out in front of her. She balked, backpedaling quickly, and looked up into the smiling blue eyes of Zane Wilson. He might be cute, if he didn’t look like a punk, she thought, then winced. No need to sink to his level, Trinity.

Zane wore his dark hair at about chin length, shaggy and streaked with chunks of bright red. His face was narrow and somewhat angular, and although his nose was a bit large for good looks, he had the most sensual mouth she’d ever seen on a man. His eyes were odd, a mix of gray and purple. Trinity had once thought he was so cute. If I’m being honest with myself, I still do, she thought, wrinkling her nose. Zane was watching her, and she realized she was staring.

“You’re in my way!” she snapped, feeling her cheeks heat.

“My apologies, Your Highness,” Zane murmured cheekily, stepping to the side.

“Oh, stow it,” Trinity growled. “It’s time to grow up.”

“What is your problem?” Zane demanded, following her as she weaved through the crowd. “Why are you such a bitch to me?”

“Why should I be nice?” Trinity asked, not looking back at him.

Zane followed her all the way back to Sheila. They kissed when he reached her side, but Trinity thought it lacked affection. He stood with his arm casually around Sheila’s shoulders, studying Trinity curiously. She pointedly looked straight at Sheila, acting as though he wasn’t even there.

“Where’s my coffee?” Sheila demanded, her eyes narrowing.

“They’re all out,” Trinity explained, sighing inwardly.

“Oh, that’s just great!” Sheila complained, throwing her hands up. “Geez, Trin, what good are you if you can’t even get me some damn coffee?”

Trinity flinched. Why the hell am I doing this again? she wondered, gritting her teeth. Zane was watching her with his eyebrows raised, and she got the feeling he was thinking the same thing. She hated that he saw her like this, as a lackey to his Beach Barbie girlfriend. I shouldn’t even care what he thinks! Trinity thought, scowling. He’s not worth caring about.

“Can I get everyone’s attention, please?” Someone called into the microphone they were using to announce. “We’re about to announce the

winners.”

“It’s about time,” Zane said, sighing in exasperation.

“No kidding,” Sheila agreed. “I want to go get my nails manicured!”

Trinity turned to face the announcer, using the movement to cover the rolling of her eyes. She wanted to just leave, rather than sit here through this, but Sheila would be sure to say something about it. The announcer began rattling off names, not an easy feat with the crowd so noisy and active. He called out a lot of names that Trinity didn’t recognize, and before long he was down to just four left.

“Luke Newman,” the announcer called.

From somewhere in the crowd, Zane’s best friend, Luke, let out a loud whoop. The crowd laughed. Trinity could see him jumping up and down despite the press of the crowd.

“Zane Wilson,” shouted the announcer.

Oh, of course, Trinity thought, rolling her eyes. That was so obvious. Sometimes she wondered if Zane had connections. He always seemed to get whatever he wanted. She could hear him talking behind her, obviously pleased that he was going.

“Sheila O’Connor.”

Sheila let out an earsplitting shriek and jumped on Zane, hugging him tight. It was all just an act, Trinity knew. She couldn’t stand to stick around here any longer. Glancing around quickly, she tried to find a clear path through the crowd. None presented itself, which would mean she’d have to make her own.

“Trinity Russell.”

What!? Trinity thought, turning to stare in amazement at the announcer. She couldn’t possibly have heard that right. After all, she’d never won anything in her life. People like Sheila and Zane won things like this. I must have heard wrong, she thought, shaking her head. Trinity felt a hand come down on her shoulder, and warm breath on her ear.

“Congratulations,” Zane murmured.

Trinity turned to look at him, her eyes wide. For a moment she could have sworn he was being nice to her. Then Sheila pulled him away, and she realized that she must have been wrong. Zane Wilson has never been nice to me, she thought, following them reluctantly as they headed toward the front of the cafeteria to collect their tickets. Why would he start now?

---

Zane stuffed a few more t-shirts in his duffle bag and took a step back, glancing around his room. Going away for the winter ... what a pleasant thought. They would fly down to Florida and take a cruise from there. Warmth and sunshine, he thought, dropping down onto his bed. I simply can’t wait. Except that Sheila was going to be there. And Trinity. How was Zane supposed to enjoy himself with them around?

Then again, I’ve never seen Trinity in a bathing suit, he thought, grinning. She would probably look fantastic in a little string bikini. Zane rolled over onto his stomach. Nice to see I matured past fifteen, he thought sarcastically. So maybe his hormones were acting up a bit. He just needed something different from Sheila, that was all. Something like exotic little Trinity.

The phone rang. Zane had a very good feeling; he knew who it was. He reached out, his hand hovering above the phone on his night table. Someone downstairs picked it up. A moment later, his mother called up the stairs.

“It’s Sheila!”

Right on the money, Zane thought, picking up the phone. It was going to be a long night, then. Sheila would go on and on about stupid things until she was ready to go to bed. Cradling the phone against his ear, he picked up a pen he used to doodle on the pad on his bedside table and settled in for a long evening.

---

Trinity paused, staring at the bikini she had never worn before. It was dark green, a halter-style top, and a high-cut bottom that tied on the sides. She’d bought it for the summer but couldn’t bring herself to wear it. Well, why not? she thought, stuffing it into her suitcase. Cruise ships are huge. I probably won’t even see anyone I know. Trinity was hoping, at least, that she could avoid Sheila and Zane. It would make the trip so much more peaceful.

She still couldn’t believe she had won. This was not the sort of thing that happened to her. Trinity dropped down onto her bed with a sigh of delight. This tiny little dorm she rented usually seemed so depressing, but right now she didn’t care. Right now, it was the most wonderful place in the world, simply because she would be leaving it for so long. A whole month away from the miserable hell that was her life.

Oh, she knew a lot of it was of her own making. Insisting that she live separate from her parents, hanging out with Sheila and her gang; these were choices she had made. Trinity realized she was doing a rather poor job of making choices for her life. I don’t know what to do or where to go, she thought, curling up on her side. Maybe this vacation will help me set my head straight. Time away from this dreary life of hers might be just what she needed.

Chapter 2: All Aboard

Airplane rides were, decidedly, the worst thing anyone could possibly do. Trinity was still feeling ill hours later, while they were waiting to board the ship. It seemed unbelievably hot to her, although it was only in the mid-seventies. I can’t believe I’m wearing shorts in January, she thought, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. The warm Florida sun felt great on her skin. Trinity found herself actually

looking forward to a bit of tanning.

The boat was absolutely huge. There were so many people boarding that she was jostled around as she walked up the ramp. She shifted her suitcase against her hip and tried to keep from bumping into too many people. Someone, a man much larger than she was, bumped her hard, nearly sending her over the railing. Trinity staggered, losing her grip on her suitcase, and grappling for the railing. She felt someone grab her from behind and pull her back.

“You all right?”

Trinity turned to thank her rescuer and found herself scowling. It was Zane. He picked up her suitcase and handed it back to her; she snatched it away with a snarl. Why did it have to be him? she wondered, turning on her heel and stomping up the ramp. I can’t thank him!

“You’re welcome,” Zane called after her.

Trinity’s heart was pounding, and she wasn’t sure if it was from her near dunking. I am such a loser, she thought. She pulled her ticket from the pocket of her shorts and studied it carefully, finding the number of her cabin. At least she would be able to avoid Zane and Sheila on this trip. And maybe I should get a tan, Trinity thought, glancing at her arm as she stuck the key into the lock of the cabin. I’ve never been pale, but a little extra color couldn’t hurt.

The cabin was a dream. The floor was carpeted in dark blue, that matched the bedspread on the queen-sized bed. The bed frame and the dressers were of a pale wood, and there was even a seachest at the foot of the bed. Hanging and potted plants gave the cabin a sort of jungle quality. Ooo, Trinity thought, one of those little fridges. So cool! She dropped her suitcase and bag and flopped down on the bed, sighing in delight.

Rolling onto her stomach, she grabbed her bag and pulled her wallet from it. Trinity kept a good nest egg in her bank account, and she dipped into it to have money for this trip. She hadn’t had a vacation in years, and she was planning on taking advantage of this luxury. And no Sheila or Zane, she thought, grinning. They won’t even remember I exist on this trip, and that’s just fine with me.

---

Zane had had every intention of enjoying himself on this cruise. Except that by noon on the second day, he was going out of his mind. Every time he so much as glanced in the direction of another girl, Sheila freaked out. But if he said anything when he caught her looking at other guys, which she did often, she freaked out. He couldn’t get rid of her, either. I need a break before I break her neck, Zane thought, running his fingers roughly through his hair in frustration.

“I can’t believe none of my other friends got to come along,” Sheila complained.

“Trinity is here, you know,” Zane reminded her.

Sheila scowled. “That little skank? Zane, she’s not a friend. She just uses me to be popular.”

Zane’s eyebrows shot up. Not that I totally disagree with that, he thought, but she shouldn’t really be talking about using people. If Trinity used Sheila to be popular, Sheila used Trinity for just about everything else. She bad-mouthed her constantly, saying she was stuck-up, that she was a liar, that she stole money from people. Sheila would talk about how Trinity was a slut one day, and then laugh over the fact that she’d never had a boyfriend the next. Zane might have felt sorry for Trinity if she hadn’t brought it on herself.

“Really, you should hear what she says about you,” Sheila went on. “Oh, look, there’s a great spot, right there by the pool.”

“Wait, what does she say about me?” Zane asked, trailing after Sheila as she wended her way to a chair by the pool.

“That you’re stupid,” Sheila said casually, dropping gracefully onto the chair. “And she says you’re ugly, too. She tries to spread rumors about how you sleep around, you know.”

Zane opened his mouth to respond but never got the chance. Luke had approached, and he dropped onto the end of Sheila’s chair, grinning broadly.

“Lookin’ good, Sheila,” Luke said, winking at her. “Need some help with tha